Medals or no medals?

http://www.running-memories.co.uk/standard-designs/

Pete S9 wrote (see)

Thanks for the comment..But I have to disagree there Jwheezy.I've probably entered around 100 races or so, over the last 4 years and the vast majority did not provide medals at the end.I don't think I am particularly fussy, but It could be the types of terrain and races I have been choosing of course. I'd estimate I have about 25 medals from varying 10k, 5k plus a few trail races over that time.I also know of fellow runners who choose races  that only give medals....That's fine, if that's a particular runners incentive :O).Personally I think I would rather have an option - when signing up - to either get a medal - say for e.g. If I equaled or bettered my PB, or came within the top 100 lets say, or alternatively  give the cost of a medal to a charity (their choice or mine) It would'nt really matter which....If enough runners opted for that, additional charity money could soon add up. As I've already stated though, I doubt that much will change as most runners enjoy a good quality goody bag by the sounds of things, especially if it includes a shiny disc on a ribbon.

Hello Pete S9, you are free to disagree but in my experience in the races I have taken part in only 2 possibly 3 have not given medals.

J Wheezy/Pete S9 you're clearly entering different types of races.

If Pete is a guy who does a lot of XC or club series races, than those mostly are no frills stripped back minimalistic races where you get nothing.

Similarly if J Wheezy is doing mostly bigger commercial races than most do give medals out

Mr Boat wrote (see)

I don't wear anything but old race t-shirts to work and very often when I'm not. The only ones I think I don't ever wear are the VLM ones as they're so crap and about 10 sizes too big.

Are you a gardener?!

I can't imagine many jobs you could wear a tatty old race t shirt to!!

I'm a magpie.  I started off only running races where medals were given out but I don't run the same race twice so have now got to the stage where I'm running a few that don't give them out.  I'd rather not but my priority is to get to 100 half marathons so beggars can't be choosers,   I keep my numbers and have a scrap book for them.  I do agree about the poor generic medals where the lanyard is used to show the year/event, waste of time in my opinion.

Haha! I hope that your wife doesnt read these posts ringo100....Good luck with the targets.Medal or no medal!

Pete S9 wrote (see)

After running for over 4 years I have amassed a fair few medals and tshirts in this time.After training 3 times a week I remember my very first medal being a little special and felt like a large pat on the back for my beginners efforts.However, over the years the medals have had less meaning - feeling more like an easy purchase rather than a well earned congratulations.

I think you answered yourself in the first post Pete. Whilst as a regular runner the medals for participating don't mean much to you, in every race you enter there will be those who are running their first event, and who will get that same special feeling and encouragement from their first medal that you did. Why deny them that?

Stevie G, your right the type of event and pricing will pretty much determine medal or not, the 3 I recall not recieving a medal were Hellrunner (although they do now), Self transcedance 10k and possibly The Switchback 5.

The Forest of Dean HM had quite a good setup - the entry fee wasn't extortionate, but everybody got a medal (slightly generic bit still nicer than a lot of medals) and the top 50 finishers got a special event T-shirt for the achievement. Best of both worlds maybe? 

Muttley wrote (see)

I'm fairly partial to a medal or two

I've probably done 200 events or so in the past 15 years and it's nice to have a memento of each. But if I had 200 T-shirts I'd have nowhere to put them, ditto 200 mugs or horse brasses or whatever. Gongs are easy to store and like the numbers (which I also keep, at least I do the ones with the race name on them) they're a reminder of half a day spent doing something I enjoy in good company.

This is me posing with my medals:

 

Haha, superb snap! Totally with you there my fellow snickering hound friend. Medals rule - end of. I like nothing better of an evening than wearing them all round me neck and pretending to be an internationally known jet set LA Rapper (MC MacDawg) with his 'bling' on.  Lets face it, who doesn't?

Cheers kids!

I

ringo100 wrote (see)

I love medals! Like runlozrun hoping to reach a 100 marathons and 100 halfs storage of medals is a bit of a problem. I hang mine on the bed post but the weight of them is a concern I.e bed tipping up. Luckily I have the wife is on the other side so provides an adequate counter balance

PMSL!!!! sorry but that really did make me chuckle lol

ringo100 wrote (see)

I love medals! Like runlozrun hoping to reach a 100 marathons and 100 halfs storage of medals is a bit of a problem. I hang mine on the bed post but the weight of them is a concern I.e bed tipping up. Luckily I have the wife is on the other side so provides an adequate counter balance

ringo100 wrote (see)

Ouch! Said mrs ringo has just tried out a new physio technique involving a shoe and a shin. That will cost me at Chester

heee hee hope your shin gets better real quick lol

I'm also doing Chester See you there

Hope it has a nice medal 

oh to add about chip timing there is a guy at our running club and he runs without a garmin or a watch so he does look for chip timing races as otherwise he has no way of recording his time

I dunno how he does it, I did a parkrun once without my garmin or watch and i was lost not knowing what pace i was running at or how far i'd run lol

Isee)

oh to add about chip timing there is a guy at our running club and he runs without a garmin or a watch so he does look for chip timing races as otherwise he has no way of recording his time

I dunno how he does it, I did a parkrun once without my garmin or watch and i was lost not knowing what pace i was running at or how far i'd run lol

Every race gives a gun time though, so he has that.

In races without a chip, where you might start a distance back, you can't count the time off your watch as your pb anyway!

Sussex Runner (NLR) wrote (see)

I think Lol's post is the stupidest I've read this month.

Don't you read your own then?